Distrust
by ColonelJay
Summary: Frisk with his curiosity conducted a genocide. In doing so, his companion became tainted with LOVE and DUST. After yet another regretful genocide run and reset, he realized. They remembered. Cover Image By: Don't Cry Craft; ATTENTION: DROPPED due to loss of drive and interest, sorry. :(
1. Prologue: Genocide

Prologue: Genocide

The shadows of the Ruins hid the tiny monsters as a cackling human loomed over them. No creature was spared. The dust of a grieving mother spread on the cold floor, filling their tormentor with determination.

The trees shook as many of the Snowdin population deserted, hiding. The brave one confronted the evil, yelling promises of redemption and friendship. He fell, the dust enveloped by the snow.

Continuing forth, the true monster wandered in the gloomy swamplands of cliffs high and low, aptly named "Waterfall." In the midst of killing, the villain had their own battle against a true heroine. Like many others, she fell.

Through the scorching heat, emerged the foul human, tainted with dust and the thirst for murder. United, mercenaries came from the shadows, striking the human with their strange powers and weapons. They were countered. Then, monsterkind's star stood without fear, ready to protect all of Earth's species. They fell, too.

And so the human's journey had come to its climax. Judgement was to be served. The skeleton, symbol of death, granted that judgement. Yet his efforts were not rewarded, as the human had gone past him as they did for every monster in the underground.

...

King Asgore did not recognize the human, for the human was a true monster by heart. A beast, they were, as dust spread on the patch of golden flowers.

"Why... You..."

Gone. Vanquished in an instant.

The flower apologized. Their companion and partner was begging for their mercy. They hacked and slashed it eight times, to let it really know it was not getting any.

Then, the monster confronted the demon. They bargained, and the world faded to black.

...

"Perhaps."

Yet another bargain. In exchange for the human's soul, _Frisk's_ soul, the world would be brought back. The world would "RESET," like his journey had never happened. His victims would never know of their suffering, lest the skeleton reads his expression still.

...

Hesitantly, he pondered over the deal. He would never be himself, ever again. He would sell his soul. The culmination of his being.

But a spark of renewed vigour flashed in his eyes. He knew it was the just thing to do, even if he knew "Justice," probably shouldn't be associated with him.

His victims, no... His friends had suffered. Because of his curiosity and cold mentality, they died. He'd seen so much. _Too _much. Timelines jumping left and right. His friends welcoming him at one point, killing him at another.

He'd become detached.

He'd killed monsters before. Froggits, Snowdrakes, Whimsuns, Vulkins, the lot. But never beyond that. He felt guilt once, but he got used to it. Until he didn't feel anything at all.

However, he _wanted _to sate his curiosity. **_Wanted _**to kill his friends. He was bored. Bored with the world which he could rewind at any point in time since his adventure.

And because he can, he has to.

...

He needed to sate his curiosity. And that's what he did.

He looked back on his first genocide run. Papyrus almost convinced him, but he stayed determined. He held back his tears as he moved forward.

Undyne almost forced him to quit and reset completely, but his companion's encouragement's got through in the end. He tried not to gag as Undyne's melted form latched onto the bridge, its white goo slowly dripping away into the dark abyss below.

Sans was just frustrating, one of the few monsters he was sure he would enjoy killing. But his last words... Without realizing it, Frisk burst into tears.

"Well?"

Frisk was brought back to the present. That was then, this is now. With resolve, he rushed forward and smacked his hand on the choice.

"YES"

"Then, it is agreed. You will give me your **soul.**"

Frisk felt the air distort as his soul jumped off, seemingly initiating a fight. But the soul simply vanished. He paled as he realized, would he no longer feel anything? Like Asriel?

He stared at his palms, sweating red, pulsating red. No, he would not fear. He would not cower. He was filled with DETERMINATION.

"Then, it is done."

And the world faded into darkness one final time.

**A/N: Good day chaps! Or... Good evenin'...? Anyways, thanks for sticking around to read the prologue. This is going to be the first story i've written in a rather long time.**

**Anyhow! This _was _slightly inspired by the one-shot, "She Remembers," by ValDremurr. Do check it out, it's a nice one-shot story to pass time.**

**See you later!**


	2. Chapter I: Recollections

Chapter I: Recollections

Frisk sobbed. He didn't care that Flowey could see him, or could he? He couldn't see Chara after all. Perhaps not. He had gone incorporeal, ever since his soul was kept by Chara. She rightfully owns his existence.

Chara hacked Flowey fifty-six times. She'd said that for every genocide, Flowey'd be even more divided. This. Was their forty-eighth no-mercy run. And Frisk was sick of it.

He had gotten sick of it long ago.

Chara smiled a devilish grin as she trampled on Flowey's remains. They both made it to the final room, a dark space. What Frisk had dubbed, "The Bargaining," was going to happen, again.

Again.

Again.

And again.

_This is it, _Frisk thought. _But this time, I'll take over the bargaining table. _He wouldn't let Chara do it. Do it all over again.

He'd lost his empathy once, before the killings. He'd killed small monsters before, but never his friends, his _family_.

And because of his **STUPID **need to see all timelines, to experience it ALL, to cease his never-ending boredom as a pacifist, he'd started his first genocide!

He regained his empathy, the ability to understand others' feelings, but now all he felt was guilt and sorrow. He'd rather go back to being the Pacifist.

Chara was his friend, telling him all sorts of descriptions and jokes even back to the Pacifist runs. But with each surge of LOVE, the dust tainted her soul. Corrupting her.

Like a drug.

Frisk wiped his tears away, as he faced Chara once more.

Tar oozed from her eyes, as she waited for confirmation. Chara knew that without Frisk's soul with him, he wasn't determined. But his soul held the trait still. Thus, he could still reset, only now, he couldn't feel determination.

Chara held his soul as hostage. Disobeying her would only result in his soul shattering.

He stared at the floating red heart on her palm. Unlike Asriel, he could still feel emotions since his soul was very much intact. It wasn't damaged and was always kept safe.

He so wanted to just reach out and grab it, but she was better. In combat. Reading expressions. Everything.

Frisk began his negotiation, "Chara, i've come to bargain."

Smiling, the demon retorted, "And what do you have to offer me?"

"... Chara, you're bored, aren't you?"

"..." Her silence reinforced his statement.

"You're bored. With this place. With this world. You don't feel as giddy when dust catches your clothes. No longer happy to end the run and retry.

You've finished the book, but you keep reading it again. And again."

Silence. Then, laughter.

"Heheh... Let me guess. You want your **soul **back?"

"I-" "This soul. Is filled with so, **so much determination. **The offer is ludicrous. Lending _this _to you would undo all i've done. This plane of existence serves as **my **game, yet it is also my prison.

It is boring. This world is so very _boring. _The joy of DUST has gone stale. But your soul remains... Do you really think i'm **stupid**?"

_Heh. Of course not. _Frisk sighed as he spoke silently, "A compromise must be met, then..."

Frisk's heart pounded as he reached out for his last choice.

"You can add your own terms as well."

"Oh?" _This sparked Chara's interest. Good._

"... But my friends remain unharmed. That is all."

_Please._

Frisk knew it was a risky move. A bored Chara was a dangerous Chara. But this was his only shot. One last plead.

There was even a chance she wouldn't accept, and continue on. But she'd get bored with this world one day. In exchange for his soul, the world would exist. To destroy the world out of sheer boredom, would be to give back _my_ soul, allowing me to reset. She wasn't one to break promises.

Either way, it was a win situation, but his sanity would be gone before this ends naturally. Her killings could go for years. And it was **all **his fault.

... He would gladly suffer to atone for his mistakes.

After a deafening silence, Chara spoke, "Huh. Interesting. Very, very _interesting. _Have you forgotten who the **one **in control is?"

"... The deal is tempting, isn't it? But you must realize that without my affirmation, you couldn't bring the reset button up anyways."

Chara reacted with hints of disgust, "And what's stopping me from destroying this soul?"

"Your first deal."

Recognition pulsed in Chara's eyes. She couldn't break an oath. Bloody, she was, but she wouldn't go back on a promise.

Silence, snickering, then silence.

"... I've made my terms, however they will be hidden for now."

Frisk's face beamed, but was interrupted. "But the previous terms carry on, **I **will keep your soul. Additionally, you only have _one_ chance."

Chara's fingers twirled around the worn dagger. She summoned the soul forward and immediately chipped off a small piece. Frisk winced. No matter what, it was _his _soul. He could always feel the pain.

With the quickest of speeds, Chara moved forward, and plunged the torn piece deep within Frisk. He regained his senses! He could feel determination again, although it was only of small amounts.

"Well, I believe a body is in order." Chara's incorporeal form in his body flickered. He could see pieces of his limbs transfer to him. He could feel the cold darkness. He could breathe raspy breaths. He could _feel._

Although Chara had inhabited Frisk's body, her determination could never match his. That _was _the sole reason she couldn't save and load when she was alive.

Besides, she couldn't take his determination either. Humans could never absorb other human souls; this was the ability they feared about monsters after all.

... Yet as long as she held her determination, the effects of the trait on him were very limited. By giving him only a piece, the soul would remain with her, but also allow him to take control of his body!

Frisk glanced at his soul. He estimated that Chara's slash had taken a-fourth of the shape. Frisk furrowed his eyebrows in worry. It was a natural reaction to seeing your soul like that.

He turned his attention to Chara. She was smiling, almost innocent, and Frisk would've thought that, too... if she wasn't playing with knives and leaking tar from her eyes.

Relaxing, Frisk whispered to himself, "One chance, huh."

Silence filled the void, before Chara's own judgement prevailed.

"Then, it is agreed."

...

"Then, it is done."

Frisk made a vow to himself that day. He would correct things. He would undo his mistakes and repent. He knew it wouldn't be an easy task, but he was **determined **to do so.

A bright light enveloped existence itself as time looped back to the day Frisk awoke.

~Recollections~

**The scent of blood.**

**The cracking of bones.**

**Beam. Bone. Bone. Beam. Bone. Karma.**

**Mercy.**

**Bone. Bone. Beam. Beam. Beam.**

**Fight.**

**FIGHT.**

**FIGHT!**

**...**

**Dust.**

Sans awoke and fell from their bed with a loud thud. _What? What WAS that?_

He stifled a groan as he sat up his bed. His room was completely dim, save for his lamp, only illuminating few parts of the surroundings.

_heh. almost expected to see the Last Corridor._

_wait, last corridor?_

The memories came flooding back. And all that was heard around the household was a piercing scream of terror.

...

On the other side of the skelebrothers' humble abode, Papyrus was left rattled. _NO. IT IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE..._ Hearing his brother's shriek, he stood up and came running, opening his bedroom door with a bang!

"SANS?!" For a while, he had forgotten his own worries, and worried over someone else.

The two brothers always cared for each other's needs. Sans had provided them with the financial support, by taking on many jobs at once. _SIGH. THAT ALSO MEANS AS MUCH BREAKS, THOUGH._

But he so deeply appreciated his older brother. He wanted to be there for Sans as Sans had been there for him...

Papyrus opened the door to find him underneath the covers of the bed. His eye was glowing fiercly, transitioning between yellow and blue rapidly. But that wasn't what he was paying attention to.

Sans was... crying.

A flash of while light enveloped Papyrus. He was leaning on a ledge. A familiar ledge. He looked over the many citizens of New Home. Tears were dripping from his face.

Papyrus was brought back to the past. Sans was over-stressed, working so many jobs there. Many understood his predicament, five jobs day in and day out was a tough deal, but Sans would do it for their small family.

The death of their father had broken what little motivation he had, and he became lazier every day. The stress took hold of him, and he would cry on ledges overlooking the capital. He loved doing it, letting out his emotions, but it pained Papyrus when he sometimes sneakily watch.

Back then, his brother truly did enjoy crying.

Skaking his head to rid of those thoughts, Papyrus knelt down to his big brother's form. It was so very easy to forget, that behind his smiling exterior, was someone struggling with his job, his dreams, his life, his family, everything.

"P-Papyrus..."

Gently, Papyrus embraced his brother.

"SANS..."

For the longest time, he could only comfort his older brother. They stayed silent, tears dripping onto Sans' bed.

Papyrus thought back to the past. He was clutching his brother's hand as he cried himself to sleep. Sans was crying, too. But Papyrus could tell that he was holding back many more tears. Even after the news of the incident came, Sans was still trying to hold strong.

Strong for him.

For them.

For himself.

Even going further back to the past, when their mother had disappeared without a trace. When he was still a toddler, struggling with his emotions. And Papyrus?

He was still a baby-bone.

Sans was always there to comfort him. He filled in the missing pieces of their life, becoming their mother, and soon, their father. Then he became their entire family.

Papyrus held a comforting hand over his brother's back.

"THERE, THERE."

Papyrus kept clutching his brother, even after they both fell asleep.

...

Toriel stumbled around her room, clutching her heart. She was in ruins. She moved one arm to wipe away her tears, only for more to come.

_No... How, how could this be?_

She wailed, a mother in grief, in denial.

She knelt down, her knees giving out. And she wept. All of the memories came back to her. All those friendships. All those moments. All those smiles. Then, dust.

For a while, all she could see was dust. Blood. Dust. Her child's body. Her _OWN _body. And she wept.

Wails of sorrow reverberated in the empty house. No one was there to comfort her. She felt loneliness creeping deep in her heart. Her home had never felt so isolating.

_I'm so alone..._

All that was heard was tears.

...

Undyne woke up in confusion. Confusion, denial, rage and primarily, regret swelled within her. She remembered.

She remembered all her outings with the human.

She remembered the surface.

Her relationship with Alphys.

Her friendship with Frisk.

All those cooking lessons... Those anime hangouts... All those melted away, revealing only rage. Pure, unbridled rage. She called upon a spear and destroyed the nearest thing, the trashcan filled with crumpled papers to Alphys.

_WHY?_

_WHY?!_

**_WHY?!_**

Undyne constrained her other emotions, letting out anger alone. _WHY? IS THAT THE REASON YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH US? __SO YOU CAN JUST BETRAY US IN THE END?!_

"NGAAAAHHHH!"

In the midst of destroying, her phone, tucked in one of the drawers, rings endlessly.

...

"N-no..."

Alphys stared at her yellow hands.

"Why..."

She knew what had happened. She knew _exactly _what had happened. The anomaly had reset. But she refused to believe it. The anomaly couldn't have been him...

But he was always different. In _every _timeline, he was somehow different.

He had helped her overcome her struggles. He had _helped her face her fears, her anxiety. He had _**_helped her face Undyne. _He helped her tell the truth.**

Alphys choked on her sobs and realized, **they **were still in her true lab, weren't they? She had to... She had to get them back to their families.

But Alphys didn't move. Not because of her state of confidence. No, her memories of other timelines had helped tremendously with that. But...

She just wanted to grieve in silence. Just for a while.

Hesitantly, she grabbed her phone from her coat's pockets and began to ring a certain someone. She just needed support. Even if they couldn't rememb-...

_Wait._

_"_Do t-they remember?"

Alphys hoped the rest couldn't. She was already suffering so much. She didn't want the rest to suffer, too. Asgore, Toriel, Papyrus, Sans...

Undyne...

Snapping the phone shut, Alphys stood up after a long time sitting on her chair. She snapped out of her thoughts and finally saw her surroundings. She had been watching her surveillance footage, rewinding and forwarding when necessary.

_Frisk isn't here yet..._

Breathing deeply, Alphys made grabbed a bag of instant noodles and chips, before making her way to the true lab, standing by a decision she knew she should've made a **long** time ago.

_There has to be a reason. For all this. He couldn't have done this on a whim. He's not all that bad, right...?_

The "Bathroom" door opened, and the yellow lizard stepped in, closing the door behind her. A loud whirring was heard for a while, before the lab was left in complete silence.

...

Fake golden lights created the illusion of sunlight covering the throne room. Basking in yellow rays, the aged Dremurr contemplated what he had just seen.

He could not believe that he had missed all the warning signs. The dusty knife. A strange flower seeking help. The human initiating the fight.

Clutching the area near his stomach, he almost threathened to grab his trident and destroy everything in the room.

Almost.

The king prided himself in his ability to stay calm. Docile. But there were instances which do not allow mercy. He would even destroy the actual ability.

King Asgore Dremurr shivered at the memory. A lone human child, innocent and pure, was killed over and over again. The child tried to spare him, but he made sure they couldn't.

_Toriel was right about me. I __AM a miserable creature._

King Asgore faintly recalled the times of terror as well. The child he'd dubbed innocent and pure, was terrorizing civilians.

"..."

Alphys had called him to absorb the human souls, but his **cowardice **didn't allow that. He didn't want to. And so he prolonged and delayed, while innocent monsters all turned to dust.

And when he thought he met a monster, lost and terrified, the very same figure revealed itself to be the demon, striking him down.

_"_I... went down without a fight... How dishonorable..."

King Asgore, who had been sitting atop his throne, stood up. He now had a goal. He would not be aggresive towards that... That creature. But he wouldn't be docile either.

However, he was to confront it.

With a heavy voice, he muttered, "Destination will be... Snowdin_. _The region's closest to the... Ruins..."

Asgore had many sudden goals today.

He wanted to confront the human.

He wanted to evacuate the citizens _himself_ this time, if need be.

He wanted to reconcile with his ex-wife.

And so he walked out of the Throne Room, and left New Home, ignoring the curious glances of its inhabitants. With a heavy yet fair heart, he walked forth.

**A/N: Hello lads! Here is the first _actual _chapter of "Distrust."**

**I wanted to give you guys a brief summary of our characters' thoughts on the situation. I wanted to focus on Papyrus, Asgore and Alphys this time so they had larger sections than the rest of the characters.**

**Next chapter, i'll primarily write about the ones I didn't do justice on. :P**

**Until next time folks!**

**Edit: Fixed grammar.**

**Edit#2: Explained and reworded a bit of the "Frisk" section. Wasn't really happy with the previous, and I think the confrontation improved with the edit.**


	3. Chapter II: Warmth

Chapter II: Warmth

The sound of crunching snow was a clear disturbance amidst the eerie silence of the forest. Pink slippers left a trail of footprints before disappearing and reappearing at a separate location. The skeleton by the river, held a permanent grin, as he walked in the direction of the Ruins.

It was a beautiful day outside.

Sans the skeleton maintained a steady gaze. His focus was darting around the area of familiarity, and unfamiliarity. All he saw were trees, trees, and more trees.

His eyes remained inconsistent still. His iris would flicker from white, to blue, to yellow, and sometimes, it would even lose its light completely.

For a while.

His emotions were taking a hold of him. He knew from past experience that careless usage of his abilities _could _lead to danger...

He could lose control.

He could hurt someone.

He could hurt **himself**.

His brother, Papyrus, always urged him to take a walk instead of "LAZILY BOONDOGGL-ING!" Now, he felt slightly more appreciative about that. Well, it's not like he didn't appreciate it, but naps take priority.

He needed some time to think, and nap. **Naps will always be prioritized.**

Looking around, he observed the snow... The trees... He had decided to take the "unusual" route. Papyrus would most definitely go looking for him at the main road. He didn't want to risk the other monsters telling on him, too.

He kept alert, checking for a large purple door continuously. He didn't use this path very much, and although he's lived in Snowdin Town for a long time now, that was just it. Snowdin _Town. _The forests were left for him to explore.

_eh. too lazy for that anyways._

Sans' smile grew a bit wider as he saw the door that he was so accustomed to. Going by instinct, he was about to take a shortcut, but relented. "Teleportation," as his peers here would call it.

Without realizing, he was staring blankly at the huge entrance. It bore the ancient mark of the "prophecy." Now, Sans had never been a believer on those, but the human—Frisk, had changed his thoughts on quite a lot of things.

...

**The Delta Rune.**

'There is a prophecy. The Angel... The One who has seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty.'

_heh. never said anything about **how **it goes empty, though. in the end, we either die or go free._

Sans sat down on the snow, his head resting on the entrance. He listened carefully for signs of another person, but there were none.

...

Sans' eyes went dark. Dark thoughts consumed him.

_the kid didn't arrive early, did he?_

His fears vanished as he heard shuffling from the other side of his comfort zone. His grin grew a bit wider and eyes a bit brighter. He now knew who the woman was, but for a while, he just wanted to stay like this.

It was his comfort zone.

"knock knock."

~Warmth~

The Ruins' entrance and _only _exit had been a sign of intimidation for the creatures of Home. It served as their personal barrier between their little world and the rest of the 'outside.'

Even its own caretaker, Toriel, always felt reluctant to go there. It was her own mark of shame. In denying Asgore and choosing to argue about his decisions, she chose to abandon her people, and live a life of solitude.

But things change when they meet certain people, don't they?

Toriel stared at the doorway, eyes intently scanning the mark of Ancients. 'The Prophecy,' 'Delta Rune,' 'Angel of Death.'

A loud 'thump!' sounded through the door. Her friend had stopped by! Toriel smiled. Briefly, she contemplated whether or not she should call out, "Sans!" but she didn't know if anyone even dreamt the same dream. The froggits by the puzzles don't seem to remember a human.

Human.

With a single word, her mind froze. Her mind was a swirl of emotions still. She refused to believe it. She _shouldn't _believe it. _It was a dream_, she reminded herself.

She'd never had dreams of underage killers before, but there's always a first!

And still, the more she thought of it, the more she remembered. She remembered, that despite all of the evils, there was also hope in between.

She remembered bonding with the human.

She remembered eating butterscotch-cinnamon pie together.

She remembered the surface, and its skies, its sun, its moon, and its stars.

She remembered _her child, _Frisk. But Toriel was no longer sure which dreams were real, if either of them even were. The child was so familiar to her. She could see him upstairs, running by the mirror. Sleeping in the bed. Chatting with her by the fireplace.

She could see her fighting him.

Dismissing these thoughts, she realized that her friend was probably waiting. She sat down gently on the cold rock. She wondered,_ Woul__d it pain him to know my troubles?_, but ultimately decided against it. She would not be involving bystanders, and especially her friends, in problems which may not even be real. She reprimanded herself; she was being selfish.

A low baritone voice sounded from the other side of her door. "knock knock."

Smiling, Toriel replied, "Who is there?"

"Yeah,"

"Yeah... Who?" Toriel was a tad bit perplexed. _Well, this is interesting._

"Yahoo? Didn't think you'd be this excited to hear me."

And with that, the aged boss monster howls with laughter. Her voice was a big difference to the once-isolating silence of the hallway. For a while, she'd forgotten her own worries.

For a while.

She abruptly ceased. She always loved chatting with him, his jokes always providing comfort in desperate times, but even that wasn't enough. The sight of dust still made her anxious, and frankly, scared.

Toriel regretted as she realized how apparent she was being. Sans probably already noticed her odd behavior. He had always been good at reading expressions, on the surface and even when they weren't talking face to face.

Her visions, no, **nightmares **had been worsening since the hour she woke up. Comfort, she so badly wanted, but she didn't want anyone to worry.

Toriel drooped as she realized she'd been subconsciously believing that those dreams were real. _No. What am I thinking? This is all just a bad dream, _she thought. _Sans might not even be his name!_

She noticed that her joking buddy had gone silent, too. The aged goat monster started to sweat as she mentally prepared for the possible questions he might hurl to her.

But that never came, as he simply spoke, "knock knock."

Confused, Toriel hastily replied, "W-who is there?"

"Willy."

"Willy who?"

"Willy-ou open this door for good ol' me?"

Toriel blinked once. Then twice. She expected a few questions, but now she's the one to ask them. _Why do you wish to? Why would anyone even tell this through a joke?_

Actually, Toriel herself answered the latter question. _Because it is funny, is it not? _She agreed with herself before realizing she had spaced out again.

"knock knock." Her friend began.

"Who is there?"

"Candace."

"Candace who?"

"Candace door even be opened?"

Her friend was a persistent one. But strangely, Toriel didn't mind the prying. She knew Sans was of good intention and nature, he _is _the Royal Judge. Toriel also trusted her friend. A lot.

Toriel smiled and sighed. She _smighed, _so to speak. The boss monster giggled at her choice of words, before going silent. She slowly rose up and stood.

Her warm fur brushed against the cold tiles, and the pace of her breathing quickened. The hallway once again felt isolating, as she started to contemplate her decision.

But Toriel knew that she wouldn't and **shouldn't **back out. It was now or never. The choice of comfort or restraint. And she trusted Sans. Truly. She trusted him, with her troubles, her grievances and her sadness.

They were buddies, then, now and forever.

She clutched her heart, and quietly waited for her buddy to continue.

"knock knock."

Her smile growing wider, Toriel replied,_ "_Do not knock any longer, friend._  
_

**My door is open."**

Toriel grabbed the door handles and pushed open, a flash of blinding light greeting her. Her eyes widened and she was greeted with a nostalgic sight. Memories flooded her...

...

_"Mom! Look here! Hehehe!_

_I built a snowman!_

_. . . !"_

_..._

Toriel smiled fondly at the resurfaced memories. Of her children. Her family. Toriel, exasperated at the sight of another environment, excitedly looked at the white snow, the swaying trees, the falling snowflakes, and then she saw...

Him.

Standing there with a contented grin, was her joking partner, her smiling buddy, her comfort zone, her best friend. Toriel's smile met his, and she beckoned him over, "Well, I can imagine how cold it is outside, why don't you come in?"

"well tori, can't really feel anything, bones and all." Sans looked thoughtful for a second, then surpressed a laugh, "guess nothing really gets under my skin." Sans winked. His grin grew ever wider, and he looked genuinely... happy.

With a joyful laugh, she playfully responded, "Well, that certainly tickled my funnybone." Toriel couldn't help it, and so began the pun battle.

"for what it's worth, it was humerus." Sans wiggled his bone... brows?

"Well, i've certainly got a skele-TON more!" Toriel puffed her cheeks.

"oh no... Tori...!" Sans stiffled a laugh, "you've goat to be kiddin' me!"

"Well, we ARE bone-afied comedians!" and with that, both went down laughing.

...

The Snowdin Outskirts was a region dominated by blizzards and ice. A cold, unforgiving place for the ones not locally-acquainted. It was lonely, and dark, and... so, very, cold...

But the freezing blizzard was enveloped by the warmth. The warmth of friendship. The warmth of bonds. The warmth of home. Sans sighed from exhaustion, but also of happiness, as he reconciled with the woman behind the door.

"Well, we simply cannot leave you out there! Come along now, friend!" Toriel beckoned. She stepped to the side to reveal a long pathway shrouded by purple stone, decaying moss, and cobwebs.

"Oh! I have not cleaned this hallway in a while." She informed, "I did not expect any guests today."

Sans nudged and pulled the Ruins' doors closed. He observed his surroundings, memorizing every detail. He wanted to create a shortcut here, just in case. Although obviously, he won't be using it any time soon.

Sans' smile dropped a bit, before regaining its form as a warm hand touched his skull. The skeleton looked up, seeing Toriel give him a comforting expression.

Her hands held a delicate posture, rubbing his skull comfortably. She was clearly used to this. Perhaps she did this for the other children.

Sans' grin became brighter as he muttered a small thanks. Toriel nodded and instinctively moved her hand to Sans'. Toriel held Sans as she began the trek back home.

They spent the rest of the time in a comforting silence. The questions will come later, he expected. Sans kept a lazy stance, his exhaustion from his journey to the Ruins by foot seeping in.

He preferred to stay in that way, yet this walk would simply not allow inattentiveness, especially in regards of what he saw. Just a moment ago, Sans looked back and spotted...

A tiny golden flower, smiling, before disappearing behind a corner.

**A/N: K. I'll keep this short as to not add fake word counts. Anyways, school's back so I won't be writing as much, sadly. Just a lil' update. Goodbye!**


	4. Chapter III: Snowdin

Chapter III: Snowdin

_W-WELL..._

_THAT'S, NOT WHAT I EXPPECTED..._

_..._

_BUT..._

_ST...STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU...!_

_..._

_Y-YOU CAN DO A L-LITTLE BETTER..._

_EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!_

_I..._

_..._

_I PROMISE . . . !_

...

~Snowdin~

"NYEH!" Papyrus jolted out into the snow with a hurried tone. His brother disappeared when he went back to the kitchen to ready the ingredients for their spaghetti breakfast. He simply left behind a note that he'd be seeing a mutual friend. When they talked about _those_, he'd usually answer with "UNDYNE!" but with all these... weird memories, he's not so sure anymore. Ignoring those thoughts for now, the younger brother carried on deeper into 'Snowdin Outskirts' territory. _NYEH... SANS, YOU LAZYBONES. O__F ALL THE TIMES TO TAKE A WALK!_

Sans knew that he should be resting right now. In fact, both of them should be resting. Sans had always been emotionally weak, Papyrus even more so as a child, but the latter's optimism grows stronger every day. He would always be looking at the positivity of life, but Sans... He would hide his emotions behind that grin of his. He would substitute that sorrow with anger. And when it gets too extreme... his magic would go spiral, stamina suffering greatly, and his eyes...

Casually dodging the_ puzzled_ looks of Snowding locals, who rarely see him so frantic, Papyrus heaved his way through puzzle by puzzle. Despite the importance that is puzzles, he had forgotten to deactivate his puzzles for himself and other monsters to pass by. After all, what if a human comes by? Yelling quick apologies, he continued his trek through the snowy region.

_WAIT._

...

_'PUZZLED,' DID I JUST MAKE A PU-_

Papyrus' inner shouting was interrupted by one of his Canine Superiors' barking, Doggo's. Next to the dog was his station, and judging by the charred dog treats near him, it seems he'd been smoking again. The 'Not-Yet-Popular-Royal-Guardsman' turned his back to see that he had travelled quite a lot of distance.

Shaking his head towards the yelping canine, he sighed. "H-huh...?! Did something move?" Before Doggo could continue with his rambles, Papyrus threw a bone into the nearby sentry station. The dog picked up the familiar scent and jumped into the 'fort.'

Papyrus hastily continued walking, yet his thoughts began to ponder.

The younger skeleton remembered all those... "TIMELINES," as Sans had called it. It was a sudden development, one which even his older brother couldn't explain. He recalled the happy times, and the sad ones. Ones where he'd embrace the human with open arms, and one... where he was met with a knife in return. Papyrus also recalled how in no timeline was he ever a royal guardsman. He was disappointed in himself, but the reasons for that _were_ valid. Besides, after realizing what they **actually **do to humans in the capital, he's not as excited to become one anymore.

The skeleton slightly cringed as he remembered the time he called the human's journey "USELESS," just because he hadn't become the role he aspired to be.

Thinking more, he thought of the human—Frisk's, journey. All those timelines. Those dates. Those friendships. Those memories. His hopes and dreams. His friend's genuine smile. Those adventures. They meant something to Papyrus, and he's sure that it meant something to the human, too. _IT IS SO HARD TO BELIEVE HE CAUSED RACIAL ERADICATION._

Dismissing the sadder thoughts, the Great Papyrus walked onward, shifting his mind to greater memories, befitting of his own greatness! Memories of the past, which shall also be Monsterkind's future.

Red boots slid through the icy patch. The Great Papyrus glided through the falling snow. His smile grew bright as better memories came to him. Cooking. Dates. Jumping through windows. "NYEH... GOOD TIMES."

The skeleton stopped as he came to a familiar sight. "SIGH."Papyrus frowned as he saw the stash of condiments in his brother's station. On the tabletop was a note scribbled in terrible handwriting. Papyrus picked it up and began reading its contents.

_*visiting a goat, brb._

"WELL. THAT CERTAINLY CONFIRMS IT." Papyrus continued eyeing his brother's station with disapproval, until a distant and familiar laugh came from the direction in front of him. Papyrus furrowed his... bonebrows(?) for a second, before slowly walking through the gate he made.

Trees, trees, trees... more trees... Then, a huge purple door. **The Ruins. **He remembered going through this door once, with Sans. After Toriel's banishment, he and his brother ultimately decided to accompany the lonely queen. He remembered staying there for a while, before waking up in his 'COOL BED' once again. No recollection whatsoever.

He stopped right before the handle, clutching it for a moment, but reluctantly let go. Papyrus weighed the choices.

_WELL... THE SHAVED CLON—ER–TORIEL, SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF SANS. BESIDES, THEY WERE GOOD FRIENDS. _Pondering, Papyrus asked himself why he was hesitating. Should he? Sans clearly wanted to talk to her about something, judging by how frantic his writing was. Would he be intruding in what could be something important for Sans and his recovery...?

But, deep down in Papyrus' heart, he also wanted to be part of their journey. He wanted to be there for Sans' emotional problems. He wanted to fix them, to go cooking with Toriel... Perhaps even listen to his brother's awful puns. He'd made none today, and while he'd usually be glad, this only made him worry even more.

"NYEH! WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT! THE MAJESTIC SANS NEEDS THE GREAT PAPYRUS. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT." Weighing down his options, he reached out to grab the handle once again; but, Papyrus was refused that chance, as a thorny vine intertwined with the handgrips, snapping the already closed door shut. _N-NO!_

Papyrus tried again to tear open nature's lock, briefly wondering why this seemed familiar... TOO familiar.

Then, it hit him. The realization dealt a great wound of regret. The Great Papyrus grabbed the vines and tried to nudge the door open again, to no avail.

_N-NO..._

He remembered. His flower friend, all the encouragements, and the disappointments. The predictions, and the killings.

_FLOWEY..._

Faintly, from behind the door, a yellow flower snickered.

...

Undyne passed the bridges of Waterfall fuming. Blue sparks threatened to form by her elbow, as her left arm shook violently. Cursing, the fish monster tried to calm her limbs, but her emotions were taking hold of her for the time being.

She wore her armour and walked through the various areas of Waterfall. Patrol, she would do later, ultimately, she was navigating to the exit heading for Snowdin. She wanted to go to her lover, but the people needed her more than ever to counter the potential threat. She'd already informed all Royal Guardsmen to be on high alert, but she didn't cite a reason. Angry as she was, she still has to determine the validity of this 'threat.'

She had to confront this anomaly herself.

Jumping off a cliff, she landed with a 'huff,' on the wetlands. Her armour plates clanked as she looked around and saw Sans' sentry station overlooking the river. He was noticeably absent. "Of course he's not here." _Tch._

Focusing, Undyne saw falling snow in the far distance. She moved forward, and stood still on the distinct line separating the freezing tundra of Snowdin and the vast marshes of Waterfall. She continued walking.

Her metal boots dug deep into the snow making it quite hard to walk. She had asked Alphys why there was **always **a blizzard in this very specific spot. She didn't have an answer for that.

... _Alphys._

Undyne felt her heart shake. She longed for her girlfriend. For her affection. For her support. But she had a duty. She had seen and watched the human—Frisk, go stalking the confines of the Waterfall region.

She saw.

She shook.

She clenched her fists.

...

But no monster was spared.

Yet deep within Undyne's soul, she remembered all those hang-outs, those friendships, those fond memories. She wanted them back. She wanted to fully experience it, not remember in a hazy recollection.

The head of the Royal Guard entered the town, and already, her presence attracted stares. She could feel the eyes of the locals, probably wondering what prompted her to go here.

Curious, Undyne glanced at the skelebrothers' home. But the locks made it obvious they weren't at their house. Slightly disappointed, she continued walking.

It was a rather uncomfortable silence, mixed with howling winds in the direction of Waterfall; but an excited squeal made her look to the side. She saw a tiny monster, a child, with yellow skin and spikes on their back. The child's expression was beaming, and her mouth hanged in surprise, but also anticipation. She looked around, as if looking for someone, but noticing they weren't there, went off with a hop to her direction.

"UNDYNE! I-I, uh!" The child looked around frantically, fidgeting with excitement.

"UNDYNE! I-just-want-to-tell-you-you're-my-idol-and-that-you're-really-cool-and-THAT—!

Unsure of what to exactly do, she borrowed a gesture from one of those hero _documentaries_ she and her girlfriend watched, and nodded fiercely.

The monster kid squealed happily, making a few of the locals fondly smile at the sight. It was no mistake that the task of the Royal Guard was a gruesome one, yet they held a revered and honourable aura. They were the hope of monsterkind. They were inspirations and aspirations. They were, at least supposed to be, heroes.

Suddenly, a new memory struck Undyne in the gut. She saw a dark cavern and a loose bridge. In front of her, was their supposed angel, clutching their bleeding stomach. He was crying, yet she could only watch. Watch as new spears formed by her side and flung at the defenseless child, their shield tossed away. Then, more. Different positions, different methods, different expressions... But that didn't matter, it was still a death. She could hear how convinced she was that killing innocents would bring monsterkind freedom.

Undyne wanted to gag. The brutality of blood and murder only lasted a few seconds each, yet she could see the way his soul chipped away. She could see the bodies perfectly. The gore... Biting her tongue, Undyne accidentally murmured aloud, "I'm no hero, just a **murderer**."

"U-Undyne...?" Undyne snapped out of her trance and saw the child look up in regret. "Sorry... Did I bother you?"

The fish monster realized that she probably made a mistake while sorting through her thoughts. _It must've been too shocking_ _for me. _She's glad she wore armour; since at least hide her inner turmoil of emotions woukd be kept hidden.

Sighing, Undyne took her metal glove off, revealing scaly hands. She shook her head, providing her answer to the kid's initial question, and proceeded to rub the child's head.

The child's mood went from zero to a hundred in an instant. The little girl's frown became an open smile, as she delightfully jumped around.

"UNDYNE—" She shouted at the passersby, "UNDYNE just touched ME! I'm never washing my head ever again!" The onlookers watched with joy, and casually went back to what they were doing before.

Undyne paused for a moment at the sense of community, then saw the child wave with their... head? Not questioning it, she continued to nod and make anime gestures. But it was time to leave.

She walked forward, no longer being stared upon_._ The feeling of welcoming home was a strong force in Snowdin. No one bothers you if you don't bother them. It was of good value. An unspoken rule.

The captain was now outside of the town, alone again. Aware of her thoughts, she focused on the images in her mind.

Spaghetti. Fire. Friendship. Dust. Red. **Red. **Dust...

Undyne (the Undying) stared on blankly. The memories flooded her. When she thought of the human, her teeth always froze and her hand would involuntarily shake out of rage. But she knew that Frisk could be nice as well. Could.

She wasn't going to gamble. She knew to hope for the best, but also to expect the worse. **He **was always different, wasn't he? In all timelines.

She wondered what side he would choose this time. Her recent memories were of genocide. Not exactly the best assurance.

_Hmm. Well, I should be seeing the Canine Unit somewhere here. _Undyne's thoughts came to an abrupt stop, as she was forced to bring up bad thoughts as she saw a familiar sight.

Undyne's eyes darted anxiously at the bridge ahead. It brought back dark, dark memories, of the past and potential future. _No. It's not. The same!_ Breathing heavily, she slowly started to cross. Her breathing hitched and her eyes continuously stared at the wood. White goo almost popped up. A memory, or a hallucination? She doesn't know. Not anymore.

Sweat poured inside the armour. Her steps were so slow, it felt like hours. Every sound the bridge made had her tense up. The woman inside drew rough breaths, only calming down once her boots felt snow once again.

_Pathetic, _Undyne mentally scolded, _Since when was I so scared...?_

Her thoughts were immediately of her childhood. Hotheaded and brave, she challenged random monsters in Waterfall to fights. She became confident in her skill, but she almost failed to realize that it was slowly but surely, becoming arrogance instead.

Her world turned upside down the day she challenged _him. _King Asgore himself. She was so sure she could beat him up, her string of victories kept her pride at utmost high. When she was beaten, she felt so, so humiliated. But he saw her, fighting spirit and all, and the rest was history.

Those times were what drove her spirit nowadays. It didn't fail this time either.

Grinning, Undyne let go of the dampening thoughts and thrust her fist to her chest. "NO!" Undyne shouted at no one in particular, with a fiery look in her eye. "Hahaha! Fufufufufufu!"

Regaining her resolve, Undyne thought back to her proudest moments. Infusing with natural determination. Smirking as each blow hit her, but not without one in return! "I am UNDYNE the UNDYING...!" The warrior yelled. The howling wind only added to her mighty visage.

Then, her voice dropped quiet. Unnatural, but fitting, as she ended her anime-esque monologue.

"And this time, I won't make **ANY **mistakes."

With an energetic dash, Undyne the Undying ran through the biome, kicking up snow and passing snow poffs as she yelled and laughed...

... Meanwhile, a white dog emerges from the snow poff Undyne was next to, and goes back into hiding, relieved that their boss hadn't found them slacking.

**A/N: Heya, chaps. Sorry for the lack o****f**** chapters. School's beating me up and I have a (skele—)ton o****f projects to do...**

**Also, about the reviews: Thank you guys, so much! The other day I was just sitting in my computer seat, drinking some co****ffee, and I read through those three. You guys' messages always inspire me to continue, so thank you for that! (I****f you can't tell, I suck at making these types o****f notes. XD) Anyways, please do tell me i****f there are a ****few ****flaws in this story, as I want to continuously hone my writing.**

**Also, ShootingStarStories2, Flowey _does _remember the resets. A****fter all, he used to have that power as well. When you reset the genocide run a****fter terri****fying ****Flowey in New Home, he... kinda just disappears ****from the game. ****F****or a while. He's not present at the ****fake Tutorial scene, either! Toriel just walks down normally. I get the impression he's too scared**** and wants to avoid us at this point.**

**But ****for now, thank you chaps.**

**Good day! (Or good evenin'? (Nah, de****finitely a****fternoon.))**


	5. Chapter IV: Erased

**WARNING! The following paragraphs up until the Chapter Title contain descriptions of gore. Please stray if it is sensitive to you.**

**...**

Bone.

Bone.

Beam.

Bone.

**Crack.**

B_e_**_a_****m.**

**Bone, bone, beam.**

**Crack****_s._**

**BONE.**

**_BEAM._**

**_..._**

**CRACKED.**

**...**

**[File Loaded]**

The corridor basked in golden lights felt cold to the skeleton within. The bony creature held one flickering eye, as he took in the unyielding silence. _Finally_, he breathed. The symbol of **death**—the skeleton, Sans dropped his arm, his iris losing its blue spark. Sans clenched his hand, relaxed his bones, and he smiled. He genuinely smiled. He _did_ it. Agonizing fear and hopelessness had never been so worth it. Judging by the human's initial expression, they've _**killed **_him before. Sans felt disgusted, right up to his soul. He was right. This human had been killing for the sake of entertainment. The skeleton had never been so **angry** before. He promised himself he'd wipe off their smile, and he had done it.

But his own smile would vanish, as he watched, gulped, and saw—

Blood. Blood was the first thing he saw. Rogue bones intertwined with the mangling body parts, limp and lifeless. A dismembered arm farther away, was dripping more of the red liquid. The human's mouth hung in shock and desperation, their body trapped in a quadrilateral cage of bones. _His_ bones. In a moment, Sans' expression shifted from joy to horror.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and tumbled around. His eyes couldn't shift away, his gaze locked on the sight. A sight he thought he'd relish in, laugh at. He stepped backwards and tripped on a bloodied bone, landing on the floor with little grace. Heavy breathing, sharp intakes. **In, out.** Sans looked away, choosing to instead shamefully stare at the floor. His legs went numb, and he realized his clothes were covered in human juices. Sans looked down even further, refusing to look, to acknowledge. In that moment, the artificial lights reflected something across the shining floor.

It was a face. _His _face. A face he didn't know he could make after all this. After all the adrenaline, the fear, the... Justice? Sans shook his head. 'DENY IT.'

DENY IT.

D_E_NY IT

D_E_**N**Y I T .

**D** **E **_**N Y I**_**T**

Words and insults circled around him. Shushing him, cursing him. Suddenly, he was back to being a child. Standing, in the middle of the street, as Monsters walked by, going about their everyday lives. He held someone's hand. "Pa... Papyrus?" he muttered. In hazy recollection, the small skeleton grinned and turned his back to see... To SEE—"PAPYRUS...!" Gasping, Sans snapped out of his trance and found himself staring at golden tiles. His breaths stopped short, and only silence and the occasional drip of blood reigned over the room.

Nonetheless, Sans felt a jolt of pain in his chest. He could feel it. Ghost emotions, empathetic imagination be damned. _Whose?_ Sans' attention shifted towards the human—or rather, what remained of them. The child's face was terribly scarred and their torso was impaled by a sharp bone. Wounds littered their body and burn marks were scattered around, residue from the use of gasterblasters. "..." The skeleton felt another jolt of pain in his soul. _Theirs. _Sans let out a weak laugh, _i'm a murderer, aren't i?_ Before the skeleton could continue feeling pity, bad, **bad **memories flooded his mind: the apathetic expression, the dusty grip, the creepy smile they'd get out of nowhere. _heh. but in the end, i'm no better than them. _He focused on the floor once more, and observed silently.

The reflection, the face... It was crying. Moisture on its cheeks. Its eyes were dark, blue liquid oozing out. The face's grin shook ever slightly. Blood stained the collar of the jacket. Another tear landed on the tile. Sans inhaled deeply, grimacing at the suffocating feeling of air. He breathed, in and out... He... Collected his thoughts... Mocking him. This face was **mocking **him. _it isn't supposed to be like this! _His breathing went haggard, disproportionate intakes and outtakes, coming and going. Sans slammed his fist on the marble floor, frustrated.

Wincing from the pain on his hand, he shifted backwards. Growling, his inner thoughts spiralled. _argh! it isn't supposed to be like this! i'm supposed to be happy! _The skeleton steeled his expression, and turned his head to look at the body once more. All of his thoughts stopped, and his eyes widened.

The sight was even **worse**. The corpse's GAZE pierced through him with burning fury? Pain? Terror? He didn't know anymore. All he knew, all he _saw_, was a reminder. A bloody reminder. Reminding him of his continuing line of failures. The rotten smell caught up on his breath and he gagged. He clenched his fists and slammed again and again on the marble floor. It didn't break. He hit it, over and over. It felt like minutes before the tile finally shattered, dispersing in a golden light, revealing the rough dirt beneath. Sans felt no justification, nor satisfaction in this. Those minutes. That hardship. All it reminded him, was that he was **weak, '**and forever will be,' whispered a harsh thought.

_why am i... feeling... sad? _Involuntarily, Sans felt his mind latch on at a faded memory. A husk of what was supposed to be. It was just a memory...

A memory of two buddies eating fries and drinking ketchup at Grillby's.

Sans choked a sob, before kneeling in front of the human, and cried with his head touching the floor. _ha... ha..._

_h-happy..._

_h..._

_..._

And all sounds ceased.

Chapter IV: Erased

The nostalgic feeling of home (and butterscotch-pie,) was a welcome feeling to a certain skeleton. Sans had followed Toriel into her humble abode, with the latter rushing to the kitchen to take care of a certain something burning. Now that Sans remembered everything, he knew that the matter at hand was definitely pie. He recalled certain timelines where the kid didn't reset immediately, instead staying a while. Those times, he felt wary, but he was happy. He got a tricycle and drove it alongside Papyrus' red car. He joined a comedy club and lived together with the greatest Monster family. He was actually happy for once.

Sans' forced smile twitched, _oh, but those were ALWAYS the worst. _Every timeline, every memory, every**thing. **It all ended. He delved within his mind to find _any_ continuation, of _any _timeline. None. Sans' felt sweat on his forehead, _and the same will happen in this timeline if_ _i don't do anything._

_gone. erased. nothing more, nothing less._

Sans realized that he'd been standing motionless near the staircase and caught up with Toriel. He continued forth and came upon what he assumed to be the living room. The room sported a majestic fireplace, illuminating the dark side of the huge armchair. A bookshelf was placed to the right of the blazing charcoal, and a brief search informed Sans that most were about snails. He noticed the dining table a bit farther surrounded by three chairs, although one was noticeably smaller. Sans observed his surroundings, and heard humming coming from the room after this, presumably the kitchen. A motherly tune filled the home, and Sans smiled.

The skeleton decided to make himself at home, and manually grabbed a random book from the shelf. He almost reflexively lit his eye to use gravity manipulation on the book, but he _thankfully_ managed to restrain himself. Using his powers was still forbidden, as he could still feel a wince of emotional distress creeping behind him. Terrorizing him. Sure, it rarely happened any more, and _sure _he's pretty confident he could handle it now, but the skeleton still wanted to actually destroy that inch of sorrow, that threatened to damage his conscience.

Gripping the dusty book, he made his way to one of the three chairs tucked away with the dining table. He sat with a loud 'thump' to make his arrival obvious and plopped the heavy book on the dining table. Toriel's humming stopped for a moment, but continued. Sans turned his attention on the book. Rubbing away the dust, he scanned the cover for a title and read aloud, "hmm, 'The History of Monsters'." Well, Sans had already read this story a _billion _times from the 'Libraby,' so he wasn't sure whether or not to read the same copy or... "huh. 'Written in the perspective of the Ruined."

Well. That was certainly new.

He could make an educated guess to what 'the Ruined' referred to. He could faintly remember seeing _minor _Froggits reunite with the _final _Froggits near Snowdin Town. He'd decided to take a shortcut back to his place after Papyrus' sudden exclamation to become the monster's mascot. He remembered thanking Grillby for his food, remembered clutching a note, and remembered going to the back of his house, and—

Shaking his head, Sans dismissed those distracting thoughts and tried to open the book. Notice, '_tried.' _Sans' eyes showed surprise for a moment, before gripping the cover even harder. After a few seconds, the closed book opened to rusty fonts, hasty drawings and old, but not ripped, paper. The skeleton's hands felt a tad bit tired, but he showed no sign of exhaustion and casually placed his right hand back into his jacket's pocket. _this would serve as a nice distraction._

... For a while, only gentle humming and the sound of rustling papers would be heard. The smell of butterscotch-pie would dominate the rooms, and the tension within Sans' head would give away for relaxation. However, he still felt wary, despite all this. After all...

There was still a flower he needed to visit.

...

The vines were lodged in place. Unmoving. Footprints were scattered across the landscape, leaving behind phantom visions of a tall skeleton pacing on the ground, walking from room to room, looking for anyone to help with his predicament. Of course, said skeleton didn't mention anything explicit regarding the situation. The footprints led to the dense forest, icy rinks and snowy hills, but nothing could cut the vines.

The figure clad in his battle body, stood still, and walked away. The phantom memory ended, and left on the ground was a single note.

Elsewhere, the Great Papyrus jogs on, skidding across icy plains and trekking through the snowy landscape. He would stop and give a forced expression at the monsters he'd encounter, thanking them for their efforts in looking for something, _anything, _to force open the doors. Papyrus sported a resigned smile, and went on his way through the chilly cavern. Still, the skeleton noticed that as he walked through the Snowdin region one more time, more 'memories' began to resurface in his mind.

He was literally walking down memory lane.

Papyrus left a note by his brothers' station, on the ground, about how he had stopped by and that he should work on his puzzles more. He also contemplated disposing his brother's condiments, but that seemed a tad bit _too _mean. "AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS ASPIRES TO BE _NOT-_MEAN!" He chirped, to no one in particular. Before long, Papyrus was almost back to Snowdin Town. He passed by his plate of spaghetti, lesser dog's station, and was now facing the compact woodlands that would lead him to the one belonging to Greater Dog's. Papyrus continued onwards, but the sound of metal against ice coming from the forest made him stop.

Papyrus stood still, waiting for the incoming monster to finish sliding, so he could have his turn. The skeleton also waited eagerly to greet what seemed to be one of the canine group, considering how they were the only ones bothering to wear armour in case of a human invasion, hence the metal. Papyrus winced at his choice of words, _N-NO! THE HUMAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN NICE, MERCIFUL, AND... _The image of Frisk crushing his skull using dusty gloves silenced Papyrus' thoughts. Gulping, the Great, but slightly anxious Papyrus stood still, and stared at the rocks, with little interest.

Papyrus waited for a while, only hearing the occasional clattering of metal and ice shards. The skeleton's patience was extraordinary, a giant compared to Sans', but still, the time taken by this particular monster was ridiculous! Papyrus wasn't one to complain, however, and all he thought about was how he was going to share a few tips to this clumsy monster.

The silence was broken by intense shuffling and grumbling. Papyrus perked up at the sound of clamor and crunching, probably the boots sinking deep into the snow. "HOWDY!" the skeleton greeted. But the sight wasn't one of fur, no. Even with the familiar shape of the armour, Papyrus could have confused the monster with Greater Dog, just with their helmet on... But the scales and red ponytail on her head, coupled with the blue sparks threatening to spawn next to the figure, were **dead **giveaways.

Papyrus knew why she was here, or rather, could _guess _why she was here. With his newfound memories, Papyrus knew that this was the only timeframe, in which Undyne came to wander in Snowdin. Even then, Undyne had never travelled this far, had never shown herself to the locals, and only went as close to Waterfall as Papyrus and his brother's house. With this knowledge and the awareness that other people could be affected as shown with Sans, then Papyrus knew what she was doing here.

"UNDYNE." The skeleton finally spoke.

And all sounds ceased.

**A/N: WOWIE! Wow, is this how writer's block feels? It's TERRIBLE :D (I HAVE written some stories with throw-away accounts, but most of them I had lost interest in or simply discarded. This is the first one I actually want to see through in the end!)**

**Thanks for the review Hopefullll, nice subtle message. :) Also, I wasn't going to put in the Papyrus and Undyne encounter yet, but I ended up putting it in to show a certain reviewer that Papyrus is perfectly fine, albeit a little bit sad.**

**Anyhow, people, please do criticize me! I like learning from other's advice, since I see criticism as a sort of learning experience. Please do remain civil, though. I know I'm not the best, but it's not an excuse to fling curses at me. (Although thankfully, it hasn't happened yet. :O)**

**Also, the chapters will become shorter, because of school. Apologies in advance. :(**

**But that's all for today, I suppose! Good day!**


End file.
